Overview & Reviews

Chevrolet sells an impressively wide range of vehicles, from subcompact hatchbacks to huge vans and SUVs. If you're looking for a reasonably priced vehicle, odds are that Chevy will have something to fit your needs.

Chevrolet got its start in 1911. After William C. Durant had been ousted from General Motors, he joined forces with Swiss-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. The company's first offering was the Classic Six. Introduced in 1912, this five-passenger touring sedan could top 65 mph, fast for the time. Chevrolet's storied bowtie logo -- reportedly inspired by the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room that Durant stayed at -- made its first appearance in 1914.

By 1918, Chevrolet's profitability allowed Durant to purchase enough shares in GM to regain control. Chevrolet became another division of GM, and was its largest volume division by the mid-1920s. By 1927, Chevrolet outsold rival Ford, with sales in excess of 1 million units.

In the mid-1930s Chevrolet introduced independent front suspension, which provided a smoother ride over the rough roads of the day. The 1940s saw continued success with affordable coupes, sedans and pickup trucks catering to American families, farmers and businessmen.

By the mid-1950s, Chevrolet, GM's entry-level division, had added a V8 engine, power steering and brakes, power windows and air-conditioning to its list of available features, allowing luxury for those on a tighter budget. Around this time the iconic Bel Air model -- available in coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon body styles -- proved very popular. The company introduced its alluring Corvette in 1953; the vehicle was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body.

The 1960s saw the unveiling of the popular, air-cooled Corvair compact, which held the distinction of being the first domestic production car with all-around independent suspension. That decade also witnessed the launch of the compact Nova, the midsize Chevelle and the sporty Camaro, the latter Chevrolet's answer to the wildly successful Ford Mustang. The Camaro proved an instant hit, comprising 10 percent of Chevrolet's total sales in 1967, its first year of production.

In the 1970s, Chevy responded to changing preferences by introducing small cars like the Vega and the Chevette, and by downsizing larger models such as the Caprice and Malibu. The company combated the market domination of foreign nameplates in the 1980s by rolling out the Cavalier. By the end of that decade, trucks and SUVs had started to become increasingly popular with the general consumer, and the brand's mid- and full-size models continue to this day to be some of the most popular on the road.

The '90s and the early 2000s saw the company raising the performance bar with its Corvette (notably the Z06 and, later, ZR1 variants) and reincarnated Impala SS. Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck and Tahoe/Suburban SUVs continued to be hits as well. By 2010, the Camaro had returned to the lineup after a seven-year hiatus.

Modern times have seen Chevrolet make significant improvements in its small and midsize car models and introduce the Volt plug-in hybrid. The latter provides a nearly 40-mile range on electric power alone, and adds to the company's already well-rounded lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs. Though today's marketplace is very demanding, Chevrolet seems poised to remain a power player through its affordable and innovative vehicles.

User Reviews:

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  LOVE IT!!! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By B in big D - July 25 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is great! My wife and I love our new Chevrolet Equinox. We wanted a vehicle with more space for the money and we found it.

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  Good job GM - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By JonMatt - July 25 - 10:00 am

  I had to have one. I had a 03 Trailblazer but this is a good bang for the buck. Looks like the high end Lexus and BMW sport utes.

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  Diesel Exhaust DPF issues - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Jon W - July 24 - 10:49 pm

  This 14 Cruze Diesel was purchased new in Feb. 2014, all highway miles, today it has 81,000 miles on it and has had the exhaust reburned 7 xs, manually by the garage, not once did the car display any reburn in process or do not stop until the reburn is completed, no messages (the reburn should be automatic). The dealer could not find anything wrong. it was covered under warranty on two of the reburns, the rest came out my pocket at $140.00 each, It has been to 3 different garages and each mechanic believes the car has never done a reburn on its own. The engineers have some work to do with respect to the exhaust DPF . As for gas mileage, ave. 43 GPM tank to tank, fuel filters cost $120.00 each, 2 installed so far, oil filters are $25.00, and oil is 8.00 quart, (low ash formula) all this plus labor, this is not the car to have if you do short runs of only drive 20 miles to work. it will not get hot enough to get good mileage. This extras cost makes the gas version a better choice.

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  6.0 Liter Powerhouse - 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Andy J - July 24 - 2:36 pm

  06 Silverado 1500 with Vortec Max package. I purchased this truck in Feb. of 08 after being T-boned in my 99 Sierra. I had been looking for the bigger 6 L. motor to pull my work trailer for a long period of time before the accident. Luckily this gem popped up when I really had to buy. I fell in love at first drive. The motors power really is something else. It responds immediately at any speed when even light pedal is put down. Mileage with this motor is great. It actually puts my old 5.3 to shame. I average 13 city(Downtown Minneapolis: True stop and go) and @ 50-55 MPH: 21 MPG/@75 MPH 18MPG. It has all the bells and whistles. Great for towing. Love it!

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  For Mechanics Only - 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
  By Slim - July 24 - 8:33 am

  This car requires constant maintenance. If youre not a mechanic, Id get something else. The head gasket went at 85000 miles and cost just under a grand to fix. Tie rods, hazard switch, locks, etc, etc, etc. It cant go but three weeks before something else falls apart.

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  Lemon - 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Tammy - July 23 - 4:13 pm

  I have had my car for 5 months now and it has been in the shop 4 times for the longest visit being a 2 and 1/2 weeks stretch. I have had the air- conditioning quit working after only three days of ownership. It has been in the shop for rack and pinion steering problems 3 times. Finally the cruise control also has been working only intermetiately.

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  Colorado good for compact truck - 2005 Chevrolet Colorado
  By JIM - July 23 - 4:33 am

  No problems for a compact truck. It has good low end pickup, is fairly comfortable on long trips, an Im pleasently suprised at the good gas mileage. The truck is used in my courier business, and am pleased so far.

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  Simply Awesome - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette
  By Ungksta@aol.com - July 22 - 4:53 pm

  Incredible handling, better fuel economy than my 99 Trans-Am that had 80 less horses! Exterior design is a personal choice, but when I look at it, I cant see anything that doesnt flow perfectly. The "controversial" lights light up the road so well, that when my low beam was out (delivered that way) I didnt notice until someone pointed it out to me. (GM fixed it immediately...no problem since.) This is my first Vette, my dream car, and it seems like a dream still. The improvements from the C5 might seem minor to some, but to me it has jumped quite a bit, especially in class. You can tell Chevy did a ton of homework on every intricate detail. Run-flat tires work incredibly well...flat :-)

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  Bad Chevy - 2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Justys - July 22 - 3:06 pm

  Sheet metal is very thin. Vehicle get dents from acorns falling onto hood and roof when parked under oak trees. (Had to cut down one of our trees to stop further damage) Installed a truck rack which extended over the cab, and this caused airflow problems resulting in the roof vibrating. Had to modify the rack to stop the vibration. Dealer has had vehicle in many times for repairs. The most serious being failed front hub at 37,000 miles and power steering pump replaced at 42,000 miles. Also, the windshield wipers would not turn off. If key is left in ignition in the off position and vehicle is reentered and started, the chime starts ringing and stays on. You must turn it off, remove the key, and then reinsert the key and start it again. I will never buy another Chevy truck. Going back to Ford.

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  Constant problem - 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  By Joe Szymborski - July 22 - 11:01 am

  Theres and issue with the secondary injectors and the pump. The emissions warrenty good until 150000 miles should cover it but they use a loophole to get out of fixing it this is a 800$ fix that happens once a year! Beautiful car but not worth the headache. Ill never buy Chevy again.